Why Germany hasn’t returned Nefertiti

Nefertiti: Icon or hostage?
The bust of Nefertiti has fascinated millions of people worldwide. It has been drawing crowds of admirers at Berlin's Neues Museum for 100 years. But from the very start it was also controversial. It's not only Egyptians who believe Nefertiti belongs in her homeland on the Nile.
Arts Unveiled reveals the dubious circumstances under which the bust came to Germany, and tells the story of the ongoing battle to have it returned to Egypt. The Queen's beauty has made her an icon in Germany, but is she being held hostage?

#dwhistoryandculture #nefertiti

00:00 Introduction
02:01 A Sensational Find
05:05 The Queen
06:33 Berlin Premiere
08:22 Nefertiti and the Nazis
11:28 National Hero

[matthewandrew]

Im surprised it’s not in the British Museum.

[parkerelijah]

The situation is simple and similar for all the museums around the world ... not returning these artefacts has nothing to do that they are better preserved in the museums or even for the sake of science and knowledge... it's just returning these artefacts meant the museums will no longer have a revenues from these artefacts ... it's all about money

[mohamedazkoul]

I am Egyptian i lived in an area infected by landmines laied by Germans and British in north west of Egypt since WWII, some of my family members lost their lives and got injured from these landmines, i was lucky enough i have stepped on few never exploded....not schocked now seeing these people justifying stealing the bust ... please send you army and technology to remove the evil landmines from our desert apologizes for your long crimes.

[ziadkhalaf]

The Egyptians complain about the Bust of Nefertiti, we Iraqis were robbed of the entire Ishtar GATE of Babylon by the Germans.

[tiffanyi]

It belongs to Egypt how is this even a question?! 😭 The audacity of that women to say “we adhere to the legal situation”, from over 100 years ago when nothing Europeans did was fair??!! What about the MORAL situation??

[christianefiorito]

She still belongs to Egypt. It is their culture.

[genesis]

I’m American of Mesopotamian descent. I’m so so glad that many of Mesopotamia’s (Iraq since 1922) archaeological treasures are in Germany (and other European nations). In 2003 (the fall of Saddam) there were out of control mobs who stormed the Iraq museum in Baghdad and stole anything and everything to include the “epic of Gilgamesh” which was eventually returned.

Some 30 yrs ago I visited the Louvre in Paris and took pics next to “code of Hammurabi” the winged Tauruses amongst others which made me infuriated at the time as they looked so disgustingly out of place and should be returned.

I no longer feel that way especially after isis (2014-2016) destroyed priceless statues and artefacts thousands of yrs old bcz it didn’t conform w. Islam. The aforementioned were there before and during Islamization of Mesopotamia and remained unmolested.

I thought I’d never say this, but I’m glad they were taken to the west, otherwise; without a shadow of a doubt they would’ve suffered the same fate as countless other treasures were and are sold and in “private” collections !

[tercertwin]

I was born in the northeast of Mexico; for decades I understand myself as a mixed race man, half caucasian, half native american, a cultural hibrid, a "global citizen" as they say. I never wondered about my ethnic background, really, until recent years. Unfortunately, in the region I was born, my ancestor's culture was completely destroyed by the Spaniard conquerors and the Cathotic monks that came with them: NO artifacts of any kind remain, even the original dialect is forever lost. Strangely now, at my middle age, I wish I could have contact with something that would give me an insight about my collective past, something that helps me to reconstruct the narrative of who I am. Being alienated from your material culture is like trying to read a book -a collectively written diary- in which only half the words appear. That's why I consider it is so important to return the artifacts to the people that trully descent from those who created them. Every figurine, every text, every piece of ornament is a "word" that allow us to put together a tale of a human group's intimate experience of the world. I wish German younger generation can be sensible to this, and get involved in the fight to handover the Nefertiti to its only legitimate owners: the Egyptian people.

[LaughingBull]

I was in Egypt 🇪🇬and got to talk to an actual Egyptian archeologists. And asked them this same question. They said that Nefertiti should remain in Germany under German care and protection. Their reasons were the following. 1. Germany has the resources and ability to properly conserve. 2. She’s an actual queen in Berlin. She would just blend into the other artifacts in the museum and lose its mystique. And this was my observation visiting that countries museum. They had no room temperature control and if they did have it. It was turn off or not working at all. King tuts golden mask was in a cheap knock off glass casing. Flimsy at best and could be breached if someone really wanted it. Also in museum anyone and people do this freely. They touch the artifacts like statues and chairs and even sit on them. Meanwhile in Berlin you have Nefertiti guarded by 4 security guards who look menacing to break you in half if you even think about taking a picture of her.

[fabiodeoliveiraribeiro]

This story of art stolen by Europeans and demanded back by Egyptians, Greeks, Africans, Asians, etc... gave rise to a strange baby in South America. Some time ago, Paraguay began demanding the return of a cannon captured by Brazil during the war that took place in the 19th century. A cannon is not a work of art. Not to mention that it was designed, cast and used deliberately to kill Brazilians. I even believe that the cannon can be returned, but for that to happen, Paraguay has to cast an identical copy of it and deliver it to Brazil with an apology (because after all, the Paraguayans invaded my country before it retaliated).

[EGYPOWER]

Belong to Egypt for sure no question about it

[christopherkelly]

Never realised it was so financially valuable.

[chrysocolapteserythrocepha]

"One of the questions that comes to mind is why are these sculptures [the Great Altar of Zeus and Athena at Pergamon] here in Berlin? And the answers can be found in the political ambitions of Prussia at the time. They very much wanted to be equal of the French and the British. And that mean, in part, to have great museums that express the civilizations of the past, so they could be, in a sense, the inheritors of the great classical tradition, which was so revered in the 19th century. Berlin, in some ways, wanted to be the new Rome."
- Dr. Steven Zucker of Smarthistory

[lakaymnm]

True ...4:50... it's not like today ...in my point of view all antiques that have been preserved in all around the world must have the proper address to the country of origin... sad to say colonisation of the world exist... complicated issues... now adays democracy is getting more rightfull... and accepted... why not make a resolutions/treaty that would preserved the relics ... in behalf of the two countries involved.. not having unwanted issues publicly.... in my point of ❤❤❤❤ salute very balanced documentary....😇😇😇

[superboychao]

Egyptian Museum is like a joke people can basically touch everything inside of it except for the King Tut artifacts which are preserved in a glass container. But I think the soon-to-be-open new Grand Egyptian Museum which has been under construction for many years will be much better, inshallah. But no matter what, what belongs to a country/people must be returned if it was a colonial status to steal it or pillage it in the first place.

[roberthancox]

Same applies to the Elgin Marbles.If they had not been taken to UK and protected by the British Museum it is unlikely they would exist today.

[dwaynejordan]

Zahi Hawass - "Germany can keep it if they send me 400 Mil dollars"

[mihaidumitrescu]

A 50/50 rule when you want to make no investments (or maybe you can't afford it!) is fair in my eyes.


Many laws we find weird now were valid 1700, 1800... etc. Does now Europe need to "correct" all errors that are apparent now?
Now Europe is industrialized. Africa is less.

Does that mean in 200 years Africa will say: "wait wait. You were industrialized and you were in the position to charge for cars a huge premium. The value of a M or A or P is now 10 times less.
We want 90% of the money back. With interest pls. And btw, you are bad people!"

If we go back, why don't we make the Egiptians pay to the Iranians for all the damage that the Egyptians caused the Babylonians.

I think it is so absurd to so many levels!

[ahmedismail]

As an Egyptian, I wish it remains in Germany. I trust the German Authorities more than the current Egyptian Museum Administration to take good care of this exquisite artifact.

[tekaklk]

Egypt literally sold one of its own cities to the UAE, are governed by a violent dictatorship and have a bad track record of human rights abuses. Not to mention they are in a region which is known for demolishing ancient artworks becouse they are percieved as idolotrous or against the majority religion of Islam. We should rethink not weather Egypt and these countries should get these items back, but weather they are ready to preserve them and if the socioty and government around them can guarantee their safety